Method of producing compressed wire units



April 13, 1948. A. M. GOODLOE EI'AL 39,424

- fumnon 0F- PRODUCING comrmzssnn WIRE UNITS Filed Jan. 16, 1945 2 Sheets-$11691; 1.

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METHOD OF PRODUCING COMPRESSED WIRE UNITS Filed Jan. 1a, 1945 ZSheetS-Sheetfi VII 3" ii! Mm! IN V EN TORJ'J dzjrelM adbegmm B v 2/ q /f g y v BX a I Patented Apr. 13, 1948 LiliNfl'TiE-D TATE-s .enrsmzr OEElCE Y 2,439,424 ummon orrnonoome-oomrnes'snn WIRE UNITS AlfredfM. xGoodloe, Montclair, and fltto :Hdork, 'Maplewood, N. 11., assignors to Metal lextile ziGorporation, West iorange N. 1., acorporation of Delaware Application January 16, 1945, Serial No.K513735086 This invention "relatestothe method :of making a compressed wire mesh unit.

This invention has for an object to provide 7 a novel compact, resilient, and, -where such quality is" of use, ;perviousor 'porousp-pei forate body pro- "duced from wire mesh fabric and preferably -from-a knitted-wire mesh fabric, which, after being 'suitably'arranged in relationtoa forming mandrel, is subjected to a shaping operation whereby-the same is collapsedupon itself 'in a s1 Claim. (Cl. 140-171) suitable'formingmold and compressed'therein, so 7 as to interentangle and mutually interlock the folds, plies and mesh wires "thereof between the mandrel and mold -walls, thus producing a self Tormsustaining perforateunitary mass of desired from the 'following "detailed description of the same.

The accompanying draw'ingsshow an illustrative embodiment of the *novel perforate compressed-wire mesh body or-unit; including various method steps employedin producing the same. Insaid drawings:

Fig. 1 'is a perspective "view of knitted wire mesh materialpierced'by a forming mandrel preparatory to molding thereof into a-perforate compressed wire body or-unit; Fig. 2 shows the assembled wire mesh "fabric and mandrel as initially applied *to a 'forming mold, the latter being shown in 'cross section; Fig. -3-is a sectional view of-the mold-with the material-and mandrel entered therein preparatory to the compressing operation; Fig. 4 is a similar "View, showing the initiation of the compressing operation; and Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the completion o'fthe compressing operation. Figpfi isa sectional viewof the mold with the material and mandrel entered therein preparatory to the compressing operation, but showing another method or -assembling the material with the mandrel.

Fig.7 ista sectional miewof enlarger .size mold,

"and. mandrel ering and cooperating --compression .plunger .means with ithe .-material deposited in the-mold -preparatorysto the -.c.ompressing opera- 1tion,:and Jig-18 is a Lsimilarbut -fragmentary sec- :tional -view-showing the completion of the moldingoperation.

:Fig. 9 isarperspecti-ve views of a perforate compressed wvire :mesn'body 1or @unitemade according to this invention.

i-similar characters :of reference are (employed :i-n ithe Zhereinabove :described --views, to indicate correspondingmarts.

ilIihe lper'forate compressed wire mesh bod-y or unit, :especially to obtain "comparatively small "sizeszthereof iszproduced substantially as follows:

'-A suitable length and width -of preferably knitted metallic mesh fabriciFa-is provided. Such z'fabric maybe; knitted-from "round orlfiat wire of selected gauge and of desiredmetal. The -fabric may :be aeither; flafieor tubular knit, -but--preferab1y :the 'latteryand may -be of selected mesh loop size.

:Ihe rmesh fabric :1! is first assembled with a .tforming mandrel "Ml. (Dnea'manner of assembling the rmesh 'fabriowith l-the 'mandrel i ll \(as shown "in Fig. :1) is to cause the latterto pierce the vfabric'so as to 'extend :threugh a substantially central pontionthereof. sGne-endof the mandrel :may be1pointedias at liii'torf-acilitate this opera 30 .tion. When *the fabric [and mandrel have been :assembled, 1 the :mandrel is entered in a suitable imolding means forscontrollingthe ultimate exshape ran-d size.

xternal shape and -form of the perforate compressed wire mesh body or unit desired to be obtained. Said molding means comprises an :upwardly :open and bottom sclosed mold block "H :suitabl-y mountedronaa base --l-2 whereby .to .prowide -:a i-mold cavity 4 3 of {selected cross sectional mandrel 1.0 .-is entered in the mold cavity l -3 so as itonextend axially therethroug'h, and zth'ezm-old base His preferably provided With an opening l4 sized to fit and receive the inner .or :low-er'end-oi thecmandrel, whereby "tomaintain thelatter-imdessired spacedrelation to :thesidewalls-of the-moldicavity l3-(see Fig. 2) When the .zmandrel :Hl is thus assembled with the molding :means, the fabric body. Fis, by suitable ;instrmnentalities, thrust downwardly into the interior !Oft'1'1e"mO1dCaVity l-3. As the fabric is thus moved :into the-mold cavityhthose :portions of the fabric body-extending from' the mandrel lill are,by engagement with-the side walls of said mold acavity "and between the same and said umandnel, not aOlllW upturned-about the: mandrel,

'bl l' Be at'thessamedimeiormed into-a plurality of longitudinal folds or pleats whereby the fabric body is disposed to produce an initial formation of generally tubular shape, adapted to occupy the mold cavity space between the side walls thereof and the inserted mandrel (see Fig. 3). l

The fabric body F having been thus deposited in the described prefolded formation within the mold cavity I3 and around the mandrel ID, a compression plunger I5 of tubular form is aligned with the mold cavity and mandrel, which, when operated, may enter through the upper open end of the mold cavity for downward movement into said cavity. Said compression plunger I5 is of external shape and size to conform to the crosssectional shape of the mold cavity, and is provided with an axial bore I6 sized to slidingly fit over the mandrel I (see Fig. 4)

A suitably driven driving plunger I1 or equivalent means is applied to the compression plunger I5 for causing the same to descend into the mold cavity and to thereupon exert a desired magnitude of compression pressure upon the fabric formation occupying the mold cavity, whereby to form the perforate compressed wire mesh body or unit sought to be obtained (see Figs. 4 and 5). Said driving plunger Il may be actuated by any suitable power transmission means; e. g. it may be hydraulically operated.

As the compression plunger I5 descends the.

mold cavity I3, it engages the wire mesh fabric formation which surrounds the mandrel III so as to exert thereupon an endwise applied collapsing and crushing pressure of selected magnitude. Under the thus applied compressive and crushing force, the longitudinal folds and included contiguous plies of the wire mesh fabric are zigzagged into laterally extending, interentanglecl. and mutually interlocked additional folds, the wire mesh loops of which are also interengaged and entangled, until at the end of the operative stroke of the compression plun'ger, the initial fabric body has been crushed down and compressed into a completed self form sustaining, centrally open or perforate body or unit B having a mass of substantial density, according to the degree of compacting force applied thereto by the compression plunger (see Fig. 5).

After the perforate body or unit B has been produced, and the compression plunger I5 has been withdrawn, the mandrel I0 may thereupon be likewise withdrawn, and then the body, or unit B removed from the mold cavity in any suitable way.

Alternative to the above and. perhaps preferred manner of initially assembling wire mesh fabric F with the forming mandrel I0, there is shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing another way of initially relating tubular knitted wire mesh fabric to the mandrel I0 preparatory to compressing said fabric in the mold cavity. To this end a tubular knit sleeve F of wire mesh fabric is telescoped onto the mandrel I9, and then the latter, with the fabric thus assembled therewith, is entered and fixed in axial extension through the mold cavity I3, similarly as above described. With tubular knit wire mesh fabric F thus related to the mandrel I 0, when the compression plunger :5 is caused to engage over the mandrel and descend the interior of the mold cavity I3, the lower end of the compression plunger I 5 will engage the top extremity of the fabric tube F, while the bottom extremity of the latter abuts and is stopped against the bottom of said mold cavity, whereby the tubular fabric will be QQI- lapsed and zigzagged into laterally extending interentangled, and mutually interlocked folds, the wire mesh loops of which are also interengaged and entangled, until at the end of the operative stroke of said compression plunger, the fabric will have been crushed down and compressed into a completed self form sustaining, centrally open or perforate body or unit B.

. By the above described operations, perforate bodies or units of comparatively small size can be easily and rapidly produced, which are suitable for use as compressible washers, bearing members or bushings and for various other purposes. The perforate bodies or units may be given a desired degree density according to the amount of compacting force applied thereto in the production thereof. pressedwire mesh bodies or units will be more or less porous, and consequently will be pervious to penetration by oil or other like liquids;- thus providing a valuable characteristic when used as bearing members or bushings desired to be lubricated. e

The axial dimensions of the perforate body or unit produced as above described may be generally controlled by two factors, (-1) the amount of metallic mesh fabric employed and (2) the limitation-of the operative stroke of the compression plunger I5. It will also be understood that the density of the perforate body or unit may be controlled by predetermining the amount of metallic mesh fabric relative to a given operative stroke of the compression plunger; Limitation of the operative strokeof the compression plunger may be variously eifected but a very satisfactory means for so doing, within limits, is too apply to the top end of the mold block II, stop washers I8 of selected thickness (see Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive).

It will be understood that the size 'of the perforate body or unit, as to external and internal measurements, will be governed by the size of the molding means; which latter means may be variously sized and shaped to correspond to a selected size and shape of perforate body or unit desired to be produced. For example, a

perforate body of comparatively large external and internal dimensions,and of desired thickness, suitable, for instance, to be used as a gasket member, may be required. In such case the molding means may be suitably modified to produce the same, as shown e. g. in Figs. 7 and 8, wherein a mold blockor ring I9 of suitable internal diameter is mounted on a base block 20, and a mandrel ring 2| of suitable external diameter is also mounted on said base block 2i) so as to cooperate withthe mold block or ring IS in forming a mold cavity 22 of desired external and internal dimensions. A suitable compression plunger means 3, sized to fit and enter the mold cavity 22 is provided. The metallic mesh fabric F is suitably folded upon itself and deposited in the mold cavity 22 so as to fill*the same (see Fig. 7). When the compression plunger means 23 is caused to descend into the mold cavity 22 the fabric F is compressed and formed into the resultant large size perforate body or unit B (see Fig. 8). i 4

Having now described our invention, we claim:

The method of producing a perforate compressed wire mesh body of the kind and for the purposes described comprising piercing a flat extent of knitted wire mesh fabric by a mandrel sized to determine the internal dimension of the body so that said mandrel extends substantially The mass of the comcentrally through the fabric and perpendicular to the plane thereof, disposing the mandrel to extend axially through and in spaced relation to the sides of the cavity of a mold sized to determine the external dimension ofthebody, then folding the fabric about the mandrel to provide contiguous laterally lapping folds and plies substantially parallel to the mandrel axis, such folded formation beingdisposed in the mold cavity Within the space between the mandrel and the cavity sides, and then axially compressing said folded formation within the mold cavity between the sides thereof and said mandrel, under pressure of selected magnitude, whereby to longitudinally collapse the fabric folds and plies upon themselves so that the same and the wires thereof are interentangled and interlocked to thereby consolidate the same into a substantially dense self form sustaining perforate body mass.

ALFRED M. GOODLO-E. OTTO H. YORK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

